Generation Z Artists

Chapter 320 The Young Immortal Arrives
Yes, a TV series.

People caught in the tide of the times are clearly unaware that this is the last peak period for Chinese TV dramas.

Later dramas had larger investments, more beautiful costumes and props, and better production quality, but their coverage area was no longer comparable to that of this era.

The 90 TV series "Desire" drew massive audiences, the 98 TV series "Wild Princess" was rebroadcast hundreds of times, the 05 TV series "Bright Sword" swept through the youth and middle-aged population, and the 09 TV series "Lurking" still dominates the market.

But by the time of another phenomenal drama, "Empresses in the Palace," only women were watching it anymore.

This is an inevitable trend of the times, and also the fundamental reason why the new generation of male actors can no longer produce "national superstars".

Without broad coverage, how can there be national recognition?

It’s just self-deception.

I have done research before, and there are several important time points in the Chinese TV drama industry, namely 02, 08, 13, and 19.

Before 02, television dramas were absolutely dominant.

Its characteristics are: it mainly uses CCTV-1 and CCTV-8 as its platforms, has extremely high coverage and stickiness, and the audience's tastes are slightly differentiated, but watching dramas is regarded as the basic entertainment.

The period between 02 and 08 was a time of rapid development for the internet.

Men are beginning to be drawn into online games, online novels, anime and manga, and real-world entertainment, causing the highest viewership rating for TV dramas to drop below 15%.

The period between 08 and 13 was a crucial period for the transformation of TV dramas towards a "female-centric" approach.

Apart from a few spy dramas such as "Lurking" and "Dawn," most TV series are made for female audiences, with genres like palace intrigue, historical romance, and family ethics being very popular.

And as economic conditions gradually improved, the film industry began to flourish.

Then came the era of internet traffic, which we won't go into detail about for now.

Judging from the types of TV series, the period before 02 was the golden age of adaptations of classic works and historical dramas, so most of the classics of the same type came from that period.

The reason is simple—most viewers don't like watching things that are too serious or heavy.

In the past, people had no choice but to watch TV at home, so even grand themes could attract a large audience if they were well-made.

However, once the audience had a choice, they immediately voted with their feet.

For example, the 04 TV series "The Emperor Wu of Han" received rave reviews, scoring 9.2 on Douban, but its average viewership was only 5%, and its rerun rate was not high.

Even worse was "Da Ming Dynasty 1566," a 07 drama that was praised as a masterpiece, but when it aired, nobody watched it.

It has a 9.8 rating on Douban, which makes it look ridiculous.

The same principle applies to the new versions of the Four Great Classical Novels. No matter how well they are made, like the new Three Kingdoms or the new Dream of the Red Chamber, nobody wants to watch them.

In an era of diverse development, low barriers to entry lead to a large audience; this is human nature.

A remake of Journey to the West is feasible, but the problem is, Fang Xinghe neither wants to nor can play the monkey...

In summary, from 02 to 08, period dramas and martial arts dramas were the absolute dominant genres, while fantasy dramas also began to try to enter the market.

So Fang Xinghe often thought that Liu Yifei was truly blessed. She entered the industry and immediately reaped the last benefits of Jin Yong's dramas, and then got her first taste of the fantasy drama market. With those few dramas, she maintained a steady income for twenty years.

Now that he wants to film a drama, he immediately set his sights on Nenxian, wanting to persuade her to work with him again—what they film doesn't matter at all, Nianbei is reunited, so tell me, are you convinced?
However, after scanning the list, Fang Xinghe couldn't find a suitable script...

The main reason is that "Hero" and "Young Love" were too successful. Back when "Hero" was still doing well, there were always people who wanted to cast Fang Xinghe in their films. But ever since "Young Love" swept Cannes, no company has been putting any more TV scripts into Wang Chali's hands.

They were self-aware enough, but Fang Xinghe simply couldn't find any reliable projects.

There's only one project proposal for a new Dream of the Red Chamber, a pie in the sky from Xun Ge's company, who wants Fang Xinghe to play Jia Baoyu.

In the project proposal, Mr. Li went on and on, saying he could give me the director's job, the overall direction, and that I could shoot it however I wanted and use whomever I wanted...

But this is meaningless; no matter how well the new Dream of the Red Chamber is filmed, it won't resonate with rural towns.

With 8 million farmers and 3 million urban residents, how can you expect them to watch "Dream of the Red Chamber"?

I'd rather play a monkey.

In addition, there are some unreliable idol dramas. Many mainland companies are envious of the success of "Meteor Garden" and want to invite Fang Xinghe to star in a modern idol drama.

They're throwing around crazy salaries, each one more outrageous than the last.

The most ruthless one claims to have invested 2 million RMB, giving Fang Xinghe a 1 million RMB salary plus 30% of the copyright. If Mr. Fang is willing to condescend to be the director, an additional 10% will be added!

Fang Xinghe glanced at the producer's name and suddenly realized what was going on.

His surname is Jia, which seems like something he'd do.

Unfortunately, the scripts for these current idol drama projects are so bad they're almost unbearable to watch.

After sewing together "Meteor Garden," they then sewed together "Autumn in My Heart," which is filled with a bunch of classic scenes from Japanese dramas, leaving one feeling completely bewildered.

As for those anti-Japanese war dramas, Republican era dramas, and drastically altered historical dramas... not to mention them.

I spent most of the day reading the script; it was a complete waste.

Finally, Fang Xinghe had no choice but to instruct Dong Youde: "Spread the word in the industry that I am interested in making a TV series, and tell them that they can send over any good scripts they have."

When Dong Youde released the news, the entire entertainment industry was in an uproar.

Sister Li found some time to visit and asked quite bluntly, "What are you thinking? Aren't you afraid of being demoted?"

Third Master called specifically to gently remind you: "If you don't have any good ideas, it's good to take a break! There's no need to force yourself to take on projects and fill your schedule to the brim..."

The poet scoffed at the media: "Willingly degenerate!"

Zhao Xiaoding was both disappointed and confused: "This doesn't need me? Should I go out and find another job?"

Wang Yali tipped you off: "The media isn't very optimistic about your next move, well, there are some unpleasant comments..."

Essentially, it's all about disagreement.

This sounds strange at first glance—people can film whatever they want, so why do a bunch of unrelated people have such a big opinion?

This inevitably brings to mind the deeply entrenched hierarchy of contempt within the entertainment industry today.

From an actor's perspective, film actors are definitely more famous than television actors; the latter can't even be called actors.

From a director's perspective, film directors are far more influential than television directors; their status in the industry is worlds apart.

This hierarchy of contempt is not only recognized within the circle, but also treated differently by outsiders.

Fang Xinghe, as the only world-class director and Best Actor in China, is a symbolic figure of Chinese cinema in the hearts of many Chinese people, bearing the glory and pride of everyone.

He must be ambitious, he must be dutiful, and he cannot go against everyone's expectations of him.

Turning to filming TV dramas?
Shameful! Degrading!
Unbelievable, isn't it? That's to be expected. In this era, there are plenty of conflicted people and situations.

But Fang Xinghe obviously didn't care what the outside world thought or how many people opposed him.

They're not even on the same wavelength; there's no point in bothering with them.

This is how he replied to Sister Li: "Downgraded? Okay, let's just say I've downgraded for now. Then, is there anyone in China who can match my status?"

"Forehead……"

Gong Li was immediately stumped by the question.

This is how he replied to the Third Master: "Every idea I have is a good idea, and a drama has its own value."

"Ugh……"

Third Master shook his head and sighed. Even if he didn't agree, there was nothing he could say.

This is how he replied to Zhao Xiaoding: "Go ahead, we really don't need you."

Xiao Ding added an extra word of advice: "Making TV dramas is such a waste of your directing skills. What kind of technology is that? You're the best director at Cannes..."

Indeed, the core of a film is the director; the concept, technique, and core message are all indispensable.

The core of a TV series is the script; a good plot is paramount, followed by the actors. If all the conditions are met, even a dog could be a director—fixed scenes, fixed camera angles, cutting back and forth between positive and negative shots, actors just standing there reciting lines, and the audience would still be engrossed. From *Water Margin* to *Shanghai Bund* to *Bright Sword*, none of them became popular because of their visual composition, color scheme, or grand special effects.

Therefore, film is the director's art, and television series is the director's repetition.

He replied to Wang Yali like this: "Write down the list for me, and I'll wait until I have some free time."

Sister Yali's heart skipped a beat, and she thought with a mix of amusement and exasperation: Good heavens, that little troll is about to pull out his Death Note again, and bloodshed is about to engulf the world once more...

This is how he replied to the poet... Oh, he didn't reply to the poet, the reporter asked, but he just waved his hand.

I'll save what I want to say to the poet before the release of "Qi Ji".

It's pointless and unexciting to criticize him now.

In short, many friends didn't understand or support him, but no one could change Fang Xinghe's will, not even a little bit.

The baiting area has been prepared and the bait has been placed; now, it's just a matter of waiting.

Then, within two days, Dong Youde's office was flooded with scripts.

Many projects don't even have a finished script; they're just wishful thinking—asking Fang Xinghe what he wants, and I'll pay for it!
Among them, the guys from Shanxi were the most enthusiastic, claiming that there were no restrictions on investment or subject matter, and they would follow any premium.

Only two dramas truly came with mature scripts: "The Great Song Dynasty Forensic Examiner" and "Blood Romance".

"Bright Sword" is also in the preparation stage, but they didn't even dare to think about Fang Xinghe - who would they invite to play the role?

In addition, there's something particularly funny.

Both Hong Kong and Taiwan were humbled.

Comic Productions, a Taiwanese company, offered the copyright to "It Started With a Kiss" with both hands, wanting to collaborate with Fang Xinghe on a two-location filming model.

To be honest, the script was really well revised; it's subtle and unique.

However, Comic Productions' parent company is called Comic Ruizhi, Rui refers to Feng Jiarui, and Zhi refers to Chai Zhiping.

Mr. Feng personally visited Wang Chali in mainland China and said, "Zhiping is willing to personally host a banquet to apologize to General Manager Fang, and we are also willing to make significant concessions on this cooperation..."

It's quite humble.

But no one in the industry would laugh at them; Fang Xinghe's first TV series deserved no degree of humility.

Similarly, Wong Jing started "The Little Fish and the Flower Without Flaws" ahead of schedule, wanting Nicholas Tse and Fang Xinghe to star in a dual-hero drama. Old Yang also personally took Wong Jing to the capital to invite Charlie Wong for a massage.

Wang Chali solemnly waved his hand: Stop fooling around, I'm a Taoist priest!
Perhaps it's because Fang Ge rejected both of the projects in those two locations...

Brother Fang is a ruthless guy. He said he would block two places, and he did. He didn't even offer any discounts.

This time, for the TV series project, we won't give them any work either. Let them do whatever they want.

Following that, projects from Japan, South Korea, Europe, and the United States flocked to their door.

There are actually quite a few good scripts, but there's no need to even think about it. The purpose of the first drama is to go down to economically underdeveloped areas and build national recognition, so it's impossible to film external projects.

It's possible that they might invite two foreign celebrities to make cameo appearances.

The chaotic few days passed, and the scripts that had been rejected for various reasons had piled up into a mountain. Just as Fang Xinghe was considering whether he should start the TV adaptation of "The Primordial Era" ahead of schedule, Nenxian came to his door one after the other with a script and Zhang Dahuzi.

"Long time no see, Yifei."

Fang Xinghe glanced at Ms. Liu and Chen Jinfei who were accompanying him, and offered a friendly but distant "take care."

"Aunt Liu, Mr. Chen, please have a seat."

The three of them sat down in the office's reception area, and General Manager Chen spoke first.

Not wanting to waste Fang Xinghe's time, he was very direct.

"Director Fang, our daughter Xixi is planning to take on a project, and we feel that the male lead would be perfect for you. Coincidentally, the production company is also facing some difficulties, so we've come on their behalf to seek your opinion..."

Fang Xinghe couldn't remember which drama she had taken on during this period, so she asked for the script and took a look—oh, Chinese Paladin.

So, the first Legend of Sword and Fairy was filmed before The Return of the Condor Heroes...

After glancing through the script, which was still in its early stages, Fang Xinghe asked, "What made you think of making a fantasy drama adapted from a game?"

Aunt Liu and Chen Jinfei both turned to look at Nenxian.

She replied frankly, "Last time in Cannes, didn't you remind my mother that she could take some time to settle down and act in a couple of plays? A lot of projects came up to her, but I think this is the most interesting one."

Aunt Liu added, "Actually, I'm not very optimistic about game adaptations, but since Xixi is willing to try, we certainly want to support her. One of the reasons we came today is to ask you to give your opinion and see if we can accept the project."

"can."

Fang Xinghe readily agreed and immediately opened the script, pretending to read it carefully.

"I feel guilty towards Sisi, so this small favor is nothing."

That bastard never misses an opportunity to curry favor, because Nenxian truly deserves to be cherished.

Upon closer inspection of the script and comparing it with the TV series he remembered, Fang Xinghe realized that it didn't match up at all.

The character Ling'er in the script has a richer storyline, more details, and a higher level of dedication; in fact, there are several scenes that were not filmed at all.

In the actual released version, Lin Yueru had many more scenes added.

Wow, Mr. Cai is playing pretty dirty tricks...

Fang Xinghe had always known what kind of person Cai Yinong was, but he didn't know before that she would come up with such a brilliant script in order to lure Liu Yifei in and then kill her.

"pretty good."

Fang Xinghe smiled meaningfully.

"If the filming can be done according to the script, Zhao Ling'er will be another iconic role for you. Hmm, even more likable than Chen Nian."

Nenxian didn't catch Fang Xinghe's unspoken message, but Chen Jinfei did.

"Director Fang, you know Tangren very well?"

Fang Xinghe replied casually, "It's a shell company that started out in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and they're used to the petty ways of doing things there."

He didn't elaborate, but firmly declined: "You can film it, and I suggest you accept it, but I won't participate. The copyright holder is Taiwan's Daewoo, and I won't budge on their offer for at least two years."

"Because of the Golden Horse Awards?"

Chen Jinfei tentatively inquired.

"Not at all."

Fang Xinghe didn't want to talk about it further. He already had the intention to kill those scoundrels, but it wasn't the right time yet.

When will your Legend of Sword and Fairy series start filming?

The young fairy's attention was diverted, and she obediently replied, "Probably around February or March next year? Mr. Cai is waiting for your response; it seems the copyright holder also has this requirement..."

"Then it seems we can't work together this time. You should focus on filming, try to fully understand the character, and protect your rights when signing the contract."

Actually, it's pointless to say that.

Are contracts valid? For production companies, any guarantees they make to actors can be voided due to "force majeure".

Fang Xinghe was powerless to help her and could only leave it to Nenxian to decide.

But we have to do her a favor, because who knows what projects might need her to save the day—she's beautiful, capable, and has an ethereal quality; there's really no comparable alternative in China.

Therefore, even though the cooperation didn't work out this time, Fang Xinghe kept them chatting for a while longer.

Then, at that moment, Wang Charlie knocked on the door and came in, saying that Producer Zhang had come to visit.

Fang Xinghe's heart skipped a beat—wait, is it that project?

(End of this chapter)